The best less known waterfalls in the world

This section serves to give space to other fellow bloggers who have visited areas that I haven’t had the priviledge to check out. In this way I hope to help you to find ideas for your next trip and inspire you to explore this beautiful world we are living in.

The Kaieteur Falls in Guyana

The Kaieteur Falls is Guyana’s national treasure – you see it everywhere on their tourism resources. And rightly so.

Kaieteur Fallsis one of the world’s most powerful and largest, yet unknown, waterfall. In fact, it is measured to be the ‘World’s Largest Single-Drop Waterfall’.

Getting there is not cheap as the tourism infrastructure in Guyana is not as developed as other countries. It involves a one-hour flight from the capital Georgetown to Kaieteur National Park, deep inside the forest. Then, it is a 90-min hike to a few different viewpoints for a frontal view of the waterfall.

But when you get to the viewpoint, you’d realize that whatever effort (or costs) it takes is so worth it. Everyone exclaims ‘wow’ when faced with the sheer power and size of Kaieteur; but it is the raw beauty of the waterfall in an untouched state that entrances its visitors.

There are no guard rails, platforms or eyesore tourist shops around Kaieteur. The largest waterfalls in the world are usually packed with throngs of tourists but you may very well be the only group visiting Kaieteur Falls.

This is truly South America’s hidden natural secret.

THE TORC WATERFALL – IRELAND

By Sixtina from SIXMILESAWAY.COM

The Torc Waterfall is hidden in Killarney National Park in West Ireland.

The national park most often is the starting and end point of the Ring of Kerry tour. Most people do a road trip on the Ring of Kerry by themselves or with a bus operator in order to discover the beauty of Irish nature.

The Ring of Kerry is a 180km long, circle shaped road with plenty of opportunities to see amazing landscapes and the most beautiful sceneries of West Ireland.

It is very easy to reach Torc Waterfall as you can easily park on the site and then follow a 5 min walk through scene woodland. There even is a hiking trail that starts at Torc Waterfall and ends up all the on top of Torc Mountain.

Torc Waterfall is well worth visiting and looks best after a heavy rain fall. It is about 70-80 feet high and you can easily climb around there in order to get very close to it.

Although it’s only one hour away from Brisbane, it took me five years to explore the Northbrook Gorge waterfall in D’Aguilar National Park. I ignore why it is not as popular as the other waterfalls and pools near Brisbane. It’s one of the closest and the most scenic hikes around. Most waterfalls in the region are in the rainforest, so Northbrook Gorge even brings some originality.

We had to count the number of kilometres from the lookout to find the hidden tiny carpark behind the trees. Only one other car was parked there, and there was no sign to indicate it was the start of one of the most beautiful hikes of the National Park.

The waterfall is three kilometres away from the carpark. Be ready to get wet: you’ll have to swim in the river to get there. Although it also requires some scrambling in the gorge, it’s not too hard. It’s even enjoyable and refreshing on a hot summer day. We only met a couple of small groups on the way and had the place all to ourselves the rest of the time.

Click here for more photos and information about Northbrook Gorge and other great destinations in Australia.

Pego do Inferno waterfall – Algarve – Portugal

The Algarve is a very unique place. On the one hand, it’s incredibly touristy: head to the resort towns of Albufeira or Praia da Rocha and all you’ll find are British-themed pubs and all-you-can-eat Chinese restaurants.

On the other hand, however, there are parts that are relatively unspoilt by tourism. Drive inland for twenty minutes and you’ll discover a side of the Algarve that’s a world apart from the Algarve by the coast.

One of the Algarve’s best kept inland secrets (at least up until now) is the waterfall at Pego do Inferno near Tavira on the Eastern Algarve. Part of the reason for the waterfall’s relative anonymity is that it’s so difficult to get there.

Although there’s now a Google Map which will point smartphone users in the right direction, there aren’t any signposts or clues that you’re heading in the right direction. The fact that you need a car to get there means that most tourists never end up visiting it.

All of this has meant that, even though the waterfall is slowly becoming more known about, it is unlikely to be very crowded. Definitely nowhere near as crowded to the beach. During summer, when the temperatures top 40 °C and the beaches are crowded, it’s the perfect place to go and get away from it all.

Secret Waterfalls in Dalat in Vietnam

When it comes to Southeast Asia countries, Vietnam is easily my favorite pick. Once a lesser-known destination, it has become more and more popular among tourists in recent years. Travellers often go to Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh, the most famous cities in the country, but very few people heard of Dalat, which in my opinion, is one of the most magical places in Vietnam.

At 1500m height compared with sea level, Dalat is often called ‘Eternal Spring’ for its pleasantly warm temperatures during the day and cool at night.The first thing that’ll capture your attention is its French style architectures. As Dalat used to be colonised by the French, it looks like a cross between Vietnam and the French Alps.

Apart from its unique architectures, Dalat attractions are abundant and it is a wonderland for nature lovers. You can go for a hike in the woods, take on a canyoning tour or visit beautiful waterfalls… The outdoor adventure is boundless!

Be sure to check out the spectacularPongour waterfall, which is one of the most famous waterfalls in the province. It’s majestic and beautiful, especially right after a heavy downpour. As Pongour is rather far from town (50km), it’ll take you at least 2 hours to get there by motorbike due to the poor road condition. So be prepared for a bumpy ride!

Another waterfall you shouldn’t miss is Elephant waterfall, which is about 25km far from Dalat city in the south west. It only takes 10 minutes to reach the bottom of the falls but the way down is slippery and tricky. The first half is on bricked stairs with metal handrail. But the second half is uneven rocks. It can get extremely slippery and muddy, so steady feet and decent hiking sandals/shoes are required.

However, all your effort is worth it as the waterfall is truly spectacular. With its majestic size and beautiful nature, Elephant Waterfall is recognized as a national heritage in 2001.

Hope you can visit Dalat soon and enjoy your trip!

Thailand – Mor Paeng Waterfall

One of Thailand’s greatest hidden treasures is the little town of Pai! Pai is becoming more touristy as you read this and the town itself is exactly what you’d expect. Plenty of clothes, food and souvenir stalls including a delightful night market! Don’t miss that!

However, the best part of Pai are the adventures to be had outside of the town. Pai is home to three amazing waterfalls, Pembok Waterfall, Mae Yen Waterfall and the best one by far, Mor Paeng Waterfall.

Mor Paeng is less of a waterfall and more of a waterslide! Enjoy a tricky scramble across some slippery rocks to reach the top of the waterfall. Greeting you at the top will most likely be the local Thai children who spend their day playing at the falls. From the carpark, the waterfall is a 5-minute trek away.

The carpark can be easily reached by scooter, car or by Taxi services. It would take almost 2 hours if you wanted to walk there.

When we were there, the Thai children created a human chain by holding each other’s hands. They would reach out and support other climbers at the bottom to climb up. Additionally, they pulled branches and roots away from the trees and created a make shift rope.

Finally, they spent their time slipping and sliding down the Mor Paeng waterslide and invited you to join in too! Please be aware that you can only slide down the top section of the waterfall, not the first section you see from the ground level. The lower part of the waterfall is too dangerous to slide down and accidents are common if attempted.

Overall, it is a great day out, full of fun but very cold! Just remember to bring your swimming gear and a towel.

The park got its name from seven rock pool in the canyon filled with crystal clear ice cold water. The highlight and the most beautiful and impressive part of the park is Salto de la Leona (Lioness’ Fall).

It’s a 25m high waterfall coming from a hole in the wall in falling into a pool. We’ve seen many waterfalls including the biggest and the most famous once but this waterfall is something special, a secret fall hidden in the forest.

When you approach the waterfall, first you see it from el Mirador (view point) above then you can go all the way down to a small rocky beach at the waterfall’s pool. You can swim to the waterfall though the water is quite cold. It’s possible to camp in the park or to stay in a cabin.

Y.S. Falls in Jamaica

YS Falls

I have lived in Jamaica for a couple of years about 10 years ago and one of the things that stuck to my mind were the amount of waterfalls and rivers hiding in the think and lush jungle. Y.S falls is one of them.In this articleI will tell you how to get there besides other beautiful falls you can check out while in Jamaica.

Snoqualmie Falls, Washington, USA

In an area known for incredible scenery and wonders, Snoqualmie Falls is one of the most popular scenic attractions. Located about 29 miles east of Seattle, between the towns of Snoqualmie and Falls City, Washington, the falls have intrigued people for as long as we know.

Natives of the area, the Snoqualmie Tribe, a branch of the Coast Salish, had meeting places and villages very near to where the cities are now. The Snoqualmie were known as the people of the moon, and the name roughly translates as moon as well. For them, the falls were a sacred place. There were a number of related myths, and it was believed that the mists bridged the gap between heaven and earth.

Today, the area surrounding the falls is now a 2 acre park, complete with a visitors center, hiking trails and observation decks, as well as the Salish Lodge. The trails and observation areas are wheelchair accessible. Parking and entrance are free. There is also a gift shop which sells locally grown foods and specialty items.

Standing at 268 feet, Snoqualmie is not huge. However, it is especially impacted by weather. Northwest Washington state is a temperate rainforest, receiving around 35 inches of rain annually. On top of that, the nearby mountain ranges boast some of the highest peaks in North America. This can mean a lot of snow melt.

During dry seasons and spells, the falls can shrink to a dainty 50 feet across, with boulders breaking the flow into a series of streams. During the rainy season, and it can grow to a raging torrent, a curtain 150 feet across. When we visited in the summer, the falls were sparkling in the sunshine, but relatively delicate, with their rocky outcrop directing the flow. The mists still rose towards the heavens though, even on a sunny day.

Giessbach Waterfalls in Switzerland

The Giessbach Waterfalls are not only beautiful waterfalls in the heart of Switzerland, they are also in one of the most beautiful areas in the world – in the region of Interlaken.

The waterfalls tumbles in 14 stages and is supposedly 500 meters long. Personally, I have seen some bits and pieces and while I cannot confirm this, I am sure this is true as it is seriously quite long and while you cannot see all of it in once place, it surely will amaze you regardless what your point of view is.

The waterfalls source is in the Faulhorn-Sägis Valley and it tumbles into the most beautiful lake ever – Lake Brienz – the famous turquoise colored lake in the canton of Bernese Oberland.

So whether you see the lake from a boat, causing Lake Brienz, or see it from the Grandhotel Giessbach – each view is unique and stunning. If you say at the historic and amazing hotel of Grandhotel Giessbach (one of my favorite hotels to date) pay a few € extra and book a room with a waterfall view. If you want to enjoy the view for free, pack some hiking shoes, get out at the boat station and hike up your way to the origin. On your way up (the hike is not difficult for Swiss standard) take breaks and soak in the beauty – of the waterfall and the surroundings and I am sure you will not regret a trip to the Giessbach Waterfalls.

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